Don't do it
Why doing it yourself isn't always a good idea
Many of us attempt to repair home issues on our own. While in some cases a YouTube video or quick workshop at a home improvement store is sufficient enough to make small repairs, a basement repair done incorrectly can lead to more costly issues down the road, such as structural damage to the home and foundation.
Here are just a few ways homeowners attempt to correct water leakage
1. Excavation of soil around the home's foundation, installation of a french drain next to the footer and tarring the foundation.
This sounds good, but this is very expensive, messy, and very difficult to do, since there are usually decks, patios, shrubbery, sidewalks, bilco doors and porches along the perimeter of the home. Even if using a contractor, many will not provide a life time guarantee against return of the issues.
2. Installation of additional concrete flooring on top of the existing floor surface.
This is not only very expensive, but does not stop the water from coming in to the home, and fails to resolve dampness issues. When the issue clearly doesn't resolve and a professional service has to be called, there are extra costs for excavation and potential increased risk for damage of the home.
3. Installation of a concrete "shoulder" where the wall and the floor meet.
Once again, this may mean money wasted. Even if it does temporarily stop water from coming in to the basement, it does not address the issue of dampness.
4. Painting a Dry-Lok type substance on the walls looks good, but it may only stop water that is coming through the wall.
Eventually these substances will chip off when there is extensive moisture. It also does not address water leaking where the floor and wall meet, or through cracks in the floor. In fact, these substances will over a period of time, cause your cinder block wall to disintegrate. Cinder blocks, unlike concrete, cannot hold up to the constant moisture being held in by the waterproofing material.
5. Digging a ditch and installing a french drain outside the home.
This may help, but does not address the root cause of the water issue completely.
6. Parging (stucco) interior walls.
This may make the walls look better, but you will still have dampness and usually it does not stop water from coming in to the basement through cracks in the floor or at the bottom of the wall. After several years, the moisture will damage the stucco and it will flake off the wall.
Call the Professionals
Our System
Our system is based on the fact that water seeks the lowest level. Birchwood Waterproofing creates a French drain under your basement floor next to the footer, which is connected to a pit where a sump pump is installed. The sump pump we use comes with a 7 year warranty.
Our system is guaranteed to keep water off your basement floor for the life of your home. We can offer such a guarantee because we use gravel, plastic pipe and concrete. Since water gravitates to the French drain, there is less dampness and no mold or mildew.
Our system supports the following types of foundations:
- Stone
- Concrete
- Cinder Block*
- Foundations without a footer
*Cinder Block - our seepage system drains water out of their hollow centers, resulting in a dry wall which will last many more years.
The system we use prevents water coming in through cracks in the walls, from bilco doors, through the cove where the wall meets the floor, and through cracks in the floor.
We reduce Hydrostatic pressure, and can repair cracks and bulging in the foundation without re-occurrence.